Brick veneers are typically constructed by using thin bricks or a stone tiles and fastening them to a wall and panel with the aid of an adhesive. Brick veneer construction is often less costly than full brick construction because it does not require a skilled masonry tradesperson, it also does not necessary require the building of a foundation for support. Thin bricks for thin brick veneers can be made of stone, polymer materials or composites of polymer and cement. Others thin brick veneers are made by splitting cement blocks and dressing the front face. Polymers and polymer composites often lack the appeal of natural brick and may not be preferred by some customers because of aesthetic reasons. Cement thin bricks are more similar in appearance to natural stone bricks but quick construction of a thin brick veneer wall does require one to be knowledgeable in masonry methods.
Thin brick systems using adhesives may be less secure due to improper application. Additionally, over time some adhesives may not hold as well when exposed to certain weather conditions which can lead to loose or falling bricks.
There are a number of methods and devices of affixing thin brick veneers, however they often are complicated and do not provide any methods for water drainage. Some brackets and clips required for installing thin brick veneers require much time consuming work thereby negating the supposed quick and easy installation advantage of the thin brick veneer system.
Canadian patent CA 2526876 issued to Huff and Shouldice, discloses a thin brick system which clips to attach bricks to a wall. The system is comprised of two types of clips which are housed within a groove in the lower edge of the upper stone and within the groove of the upper edge of the lower stone. The system requires individual clips to be nailed to the wall. This system also does not contain a wall gap that can serve as a water channel on in which foam insulation can be sprayed. Additionally the bricks do not contain the different length extrusions that allow for fast mounting of the brick as in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,470 issued to Bauer et al., discloses a structure and a method for construction of a brick facade. It comprises of a panel that is configured to secure bricks by using a friction fit and the rear surface of the brick is secured using an adhesive. The present invention does not use any adhesive materials in its implementation nor does it require the mounting of panel for installation of the bricks.
PCT/IB2004/050464 filed by Passeno, discloses a panel made of sheet material that has rows of spaced block support elements in the form of prongs. The blocks rest on the prongs and the gaps left by the blocks can be filled with mortar. This invention does not have the ability to be mounted to wooden studs to allow for a water channel or for a space to allow foam insulation to be sprayed. Additionally, the invention also requires a large panel to be fitted and installed unlike the present invention which uses C-bars which can be more easily fitted to differing wall lengths.
There is a need to improve thin brick veneer system so as that they do not require addition of adhesive materials and allow for a simple mechanical installation. Some of the disclosed prior art requires the use of adhesive to secure the bricks to the panel or wall. This steps requires additional materials and additional time for construction of the veneers. Other systems in the prior art require installation of large panels for which have to be sized and cut to fit the wall. This may be difficult and time consuming for large sized panels. Additionally, none of the systems in the prior art provides a means for constructing a water channel or space for the addition of foam insulation in its design. The present invention provides a quick method of mechanically attaching brick veneers that requires less material than previously. It also increases the functionality of thin brick veneers by adding a water channel and means for installing foam insulation.